Tufting device



No. 627,27IL Patented June 20, I899. I]. E. ROWLEY,

TUFTING DEVICE.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1898,) (No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheot l.

9 9 8 0 2 e n u I. d e .t n e a P V- E L W 0 an H 7 2 6 nw N TUFTING DEVICE.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.) 7

5 6 S 8 6 D t Ni'rED STATES DAVID E. ROWLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TUFTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,271, dated June 20, 1899.

Application filed December 24, 1898. Serial No. 700,296. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, DAVID E. RoWLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tufting Devices, of which the following is a description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, whereinlike reference-letters indicate like or corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the base of myimproved device. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same. Fig. 3is a side elevation of the tufting-board in partial section. Fig. 4 is a partial top plan of the same. Fig. 5 isa side elevation of one of the securingpins. Fig. Gisabottom planofthesame. Fig. 7 is an edge view of the follower in partial section. Fig. 8 showsthe tufting-board in position upon the base, the same being in partial section to show their relation to one another. Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the manner of placing the top or finishing material upon the tufting-board and the securing-pins holding the same in position thereon. Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the filling or stuffing loosely placed upon the fabric upon the tufting-board and the follower in position for compressing the said material. Fig.1l shows the apparatus in a press, dot-lines showing the position of the follower before compression and full lines after compression. Fig. 12 shows the base, tufting-board and follower as removed from the press after compression and the removal of the base from the tuftingboard, the position of the several parts being reversed from that shown in the previous'figures. Fig. 13 shows the tufting-board in position upon the fabric or material to which the upholstering is to be attached, thefollower being removed. Fig. 14 shows a modified form of tufting-board made up in seetions particularly adapted for use in tufting curved or irregular surfaces.

partial top plan of the same. Fig. 16 is a Fig. 15 is a c 0, adapted to register with the pins B B and extending, substantially, to the top thereof.

D is one form of the securing-pin adapted to be positioned and temporarily secured upon the upper end of the pins B. (See Figs. 9, 10, and 11.)

E is a follower-board provided with .apertures e, constructed to register with the pins D and B.

- The mode of operation is as follows: The tufting-board is placed upon the base, as shown in Fig. 8. The fabric Gis then spread over the ends of the thimbles c and pressed 'down and positioned to permit of the desired degree of stuffing. The fabric may thus be positioned evenly and regularly over the thimbles c, the pins D securing the same in position upon them and the ends of the pins B. (See Fig. 9.) The stuffing'material II is then suitably distributed over the fabric and the follower E placed thereon, the holes (2 registering with the pins D. (See Fig. 10.) The follower is then depressed in any satisfactory manner. In the preferred method the device is placed in a suitable press and the follower pressed downward to substantially the plane of the tops of the thimbles c, compressing the stuffing material as desired. The follower and the tufting-board may then be secured together in any preferred .mannerfor example, by the hooks I and pins t. (See Fig. 11.) The device may then be removed from 'the press and the pins D and the base A removed, (see Fig. 12,) leaving the fabric tufted with the stuffing material and firmly secured in such condition between the tufting-board and the follower. The device may be set aside in this condition until such time as it is desired to secure the upholstering permanently to some article, or it may be securing device may be passed through the material and the article to which it is to be secured at the points marked by the thimble c and passed through the same. (See Fig. 13.)

It will at once be seen that by the means here shown no stuffing will be compressed upon the ends of the thimble. The material thus comes in direct contact with the base, to which it is ultimately secured, insuring a neat and workmanlike finish.

When it is desired to upholster articles having curved or irregular surfaces, it is found difficult to do satisfactory work with a rigid tufting-board, as will be readily understood. To obviate this difficulty, I provide a flexible tufting-board of any suitable material, together with a follower made up in sections. In the preferred form the tufting- .board 0 is made up of a plurality of sections the drawings satisfactorily accomplishing the object. As here shown, lugs c c are formed on the adjacent edges of the sections, and a pin or rod K extends through said lugs, forming a hinge having sufficient play for the object desired. .The follower for use with the flexible tufting-board consists of a plurality of sections 0, preferably disconnected from one another, any one of which may be released from the tufting-board and removed without disturbing the others. In operation the complete upholstering is preferably finished with one section at a time, the section of the follower being removed for that purpose. If desired, that section of the tuftingboard may then be detached and removed and the remaining portion of the-article completed in a similar manner. The separation of the sections or building them up to any desired. length may be easily accomplished by making the pin or rod K of sufficientlength to serve as a pivotal member for connecting two sections together and constructing the pin in such a manner that it may be easily withdrawn or disconnected sufficiently from the sections to permit their disengagement.

In practice I prefer to provide the free ends of the thimble c with a cushion to prevent marring finished frames. This cushion may consist of a ring of rubber or other suitable material embracing the ends of the thimble.

My device is adapted to aid in forming any of the well-known forms of tufting, known as biscuit tufting, diamond tufting, &c., the thimbles c in all cases being located upon the tufting-board at the points where the buttons are to be positioned upon the material.

In the preferred form I use thimbles in the form of the frustum of acone or an equivalent form. Such form facilitates the rapid use of the needle or clench-pin in securing the buttons in place. I have referred to this form of thimbles in the claims as conical thimbles and wish to be so understood.

, In some cases a flexible tufting-board may be used to good advantage without the other parts here shown or, perhaps, with only a part of them. Hence in the use of such a board I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact combination shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In a device of the kind described, a base provided with projecting pins, a tufting-board provided with projecting thimbles registering with said pins, and securing-pins placed to secure the material upon the ends of the basepins and the thimbles and constituting guiding extensions of the same, in combination with a follower having formed therein holes registering with the securing-pins and in which said pins work, and means for moving said follower toward the tuftingboard, sub stantially as described.

2. In a device of the kind described, a base provided with projecting base-pins, a tuftingboard provided with projecting thimbles registering with said pins, and securing members adapted to temporarily secure the material to the ends of the thimbles and extend upward to form guiding extensions of the same, in combination with a follower having holes formed therein registering with the projecting thimbles and in which said securing members work when the tufting-board and follower are pressed together, and means for temporarily securing the follower and tufting-board together when the former is pressed to the desired limit toward the latter, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the kind described, a base provided with projecting pins, a flexible tufting-board provided with projecting thimbles registering with said pins, securing members adapted to secure the material upon the ends of the thimbles, in combination with a follower having formed therein holes registering with the securing members, and means for temporarily securing the follower and base together when the follower is suitably depressed, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the kind described, a base provided with projecting pins,a sectional tufting-board provided with projecting thimbles registering with said pins, and securing members adapted to secure the material upon the ends of the thimbles, in combination with a follower having formed therein holes regis 5. In a device of the kind described, abase' provided with projecting pins,a sectional tu fting-board provided with projecting thimbles registering with said pins, and means for securing the material upon the ends of the thimbles, in combination with a sectional follower having formed therein holes registering with the thimbles, and means for temporarily securing the sections of the tufting-board to the sections of the follower, when the latter is suitably depressed,substantially as described.

6. In a device of the kind described, a base provided with projecting pins, a tufting-board composed of detachable sections and provided with projecting thimbles registering with said pins, securing members adapted to'secure the material upon the ends of the thimbles and to extend upward therefrom, in combination with a follower having formed therein holes-registering with the securing members, and means for securing the sections of the tufting-board to the follower when the latter is suitably depressed, substantially as described.

7. A flexible tufting-board for upholstering adapted to conform to curved or irregular surfaces, provided with a plurality of pro j ectin g thimbles marking the points where the material is to be secured upon the article tufted, substantially as described.

8. A flexible tufting-board for upholsterin g, adapted to conform to curved or irregular surfaces and provided with a plurality of projecting thimbles marking the points where the material is to be secured upon the article tufted, in combination with a sectional follower, and means .for temporarily securing the sections of the follower to the tuftingboard, substantially as described.

9. A tufting-board for upholstering, composed of sections of suitable material pivotally connected and adapted to yield to curved or irregular surfaces, provided with a plurality of projecting thimbles marking the points where the material is to be secured upon the article tufted, substantially as described.

10. A flexible tufting-board for upholstering, adapted to yield to curved or irregular surfaces, provided with a plurality of projectin g conical thimbles marking the points where the material is to be secured upon the article tufted, substantially as described.

11. A tufting-board for upholstering, composed of sections of suitable material pivotally connected and adapted to yield to curved or irregular surfaces, provided with a plural ity of projecting conical thimbles marking the points where the material is to be secured upon the article tufted, substantially as described.

12. A tufting=board for upholstering, composed of sections of suitable material pivotally connected and adapted to conform to curved or irregular surfaces, and provided with a plurality of projecting conical thimbles marking the points where the material is to be secured upon the article tufted, in combination with a sectional follower and means for temporarily securing the sections of the tufting-board and follower together, substantially as described.

13. In a device of the kind described, a base provided with projecting pins, a tufting-board provided with conical thimbles registering with said pins, securing-pins placed to secure the material upon the top of the base-pins and the thimbles and serving as guiding extensions of said base-pins, and a follower havin g formed therein holes registering with the securing-pins and in which said pins work in combination with means for depressing the follower, and means for securing the follower to the tufting-board when suitablydepressed, substantially as described.

14. In a device of the kind described, the tufting-board provided with projecting thimbles, having cushions upon their free ends, in combination with a follower adapted to compress the stuffing material upon the tuftingboard, substantially as described.

DAVID E. ROWLEY.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. HILL, LEONORA WIsEMAN. 

